The Nationalist Party has been the party of liberty ever since it was born. Its liberal principles have been expressed in different ways in different contexts, most notably in the form of anti-colonialism during British rule and of anti-authoritarianism during Socialist Mintoffian rule.
These principles were apparent in the PN’s stance of opposition against oppressive rule, where both national and individual liberties were suppressed by morally illegitimate rulers, and also when the PN was on the other side of the fence, that is, in government. From Malta’s struggle for independence to joining the EU, and from the struggle for freedom of expression and freedom of choice to the liberalisation of the economy, the liberalisation of broadcasting and the whole process of democratising what was only a democracy on paper in the 1980s, there was one over-arching principle: liberty. Since then, there has been no tampering with these principles, even when they were set to put the Nationalist Party in government at a disadvantage. The PN has always accepted the outcome of referenda and elections, both local and national, without ever questioning the will of the people.
Today it seems that daring to remember the recent past assault on liberties easily earns one the label of an old-fashioned, if not divisive, politician. However, noting that the most severe assaults on democracy occurred as recently as the 1980s – only some 25 years ago – one wonders if it is wise to take liberty for granted so soon. Quite a few members of the Mintoffian regime are still around, waiting to have another turn in power; some of them were even recouped by the progressive modern leader himself.
A power-hungry Labour Party
The Leader of the Opposition has accused Prime Minister Gonzi and his government of illegitimately hanging on to power. This accusation has been made despite the government being in the fourth year of its five-year election mandate. It has also been made despite a motion of no-confidence in government moved by the Opposition being defeated in parliament.
The Labour Party Leader even dared to equate the illegitimacy of the 1981-1987 Labour Government, which completed a full term despite not having secured the popular vote at the polls and despite Mintoff’s solemn pre-election promise that Labour would not govern unless it obtained a clear and absolute majority. What an absurd equation! During that Labour term, the country experienced an economic down turn, loss of jobs, no freedom of choice and a spate of state-sponsored political violence that led to the death of people in political party clubs and at the hands of the highest echelons of the police force. Today’s situation is evidently incomparable but “sorry” seems to be the hardest word for Labour, even 30 years later.
Remarkable achievements vs the wrong advice
The results of the Gonzi led government are there for one and all to see: economic growth and huge investments in health, education, communications and technology. Malta has the fifth lowest unemployment rate in the EU and it is worth noting that its 6.5 per cent unemployment rate is much smaller than that of larger countries such as Italy, the UK and Spain, who lag behind us with 8.9 per cent, 8.4 per cent and 22.9 per cent respectively. The positive results in employment are also evident among young people, where Malta has the fourth lowest rate of unemployment among young people.
Does the Leader of the Opposition and the Labour Party have what it takes to lead our country successfully? Of course, one can always argue that we will have to see a Labour Government in action to answer to that question. However, it is not necessary to take such a big leap in the dark. The Labour Party is definitely getting better in communicating its criticism of government but this does not necessarily make it any better suited for governing. The Labour Party remains devoid of substance and whenever it dared to dash proposals it always quietly retracted them in the face of criticism. There might be a new face at the helm of the alternative, but he was very close and supportive of the Labour leadership that was anti EU membership. More recently, he has advised us to emulate the economic policy of Cyprus, where today unemployment among young Cypriots has soared to 25.8 per cent. He is now promising to reduce our water and electricity bills but we still ask by how much and at what expense. Will this promise be delivered at the expense of investment in health or our children’s education? Luckily for our young people, the Prime Minister has not been quick to heed his advice. Substance, leadership and statesmanship require much more than wearing nice blue ties.
Respecting the sovereignty of the people
The Nationalist Party strongly believes in the sovereignty of the people’s will. Lawrence Gonzi has yet again given proof of this by submitting his leadership to the test, asking for the approval of his leadership by members of the General Council of the Nationalist Party. Hopefully this will put an end to the issue and with it a challenging period for the Party.
We have to work hard to finish what we were set to do in the first place. We have to face the tough challenges presented by international circumstances beyond our control. In the end, we will ask for the largest vote of confidence that a party in government can obtain – from the electorate in a general election. At the end of this legislature, we will gladly ask the electorate to judge Lawrence Gonzi and his team on the basis of what they have achieved.
Clyde Puli is Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport